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Food for Growing Minds: A Practical Nutrition Guide for Parents

John Core, Sodexo Culinary Nutrition Lead

As the school year begins, we know that families are juggling a thousand moving parts—from early alarms and packed lunches to after-school activities and dinner on the table. This guide is designed to make that balancing act just a little easier.

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At Sodexo, we believe good food fuels more than just bodies—it supports energy, learning, mood, and resilience in growing children. 

 

In this resource, you’ll find practical, real-life guidance on everything from smart shopping habits and label reading, to how food can support sleep, stress management, and concentration. 

 

We've also included tips for fuelling active kids, managing picky eaters, and making the most of your weekends with simple prep strategies.

Read the full 'Food for Growing Minds' article

To bring this guidance to life, our Culinary Team has created a separate Back-to-School Recipe Book—full of nutritious, family-friendly ideas like Mini Quinoa & Veg Frittatas, Sweet Potato & Chickpea Coconut Curry, and Falafel & Couscous Salad Pots. Whether you’re after lunchbox heroes, batch-cook dinners, or smart snacks that actually get eaten, you’ll find plenty of inspiration inside.

Whether you’re prepping breakfast at 6am, squeezing in dinner after GAA training, or just trying to get ahead at the weekend, we hope these tools bring a little more calm, confidence, and colour to your kitchen.

Wishing you and your family a healthy, happy school year ahead.

Food for Growing Minds

In this guide you will find ideas for breakfast, lunch and dinner, it is full of useful tips whilst keeping nutrition in mind. From the foundations of child nutrition to weekend meal preparation , download our practical nutrition guide for parents.

Download our 'Food for Growing Minds' article
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Explore the recipe books created alongside this article

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Lunch Box idea

Rainbow Rice Paper Rolls with Peanut-Free Satay Dip

Servings: 4 (makes 8 rolls)
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: None

Ingredients:

Rice paper sheets 8
Red pepper (finely sliced) ½
Carrot (finely sliced) 1 medium
Cucumber (finely sliced) ¼
Cooked vermicelli noodles 50g
Shredded cooked chicken or tofu Optional (50–100g)

Instructions:

Lay out a damp tea towel on the counter. Soak each rice paper sheet briefly in warm water, then place on the towel. Let children layer the veg, noodles, and optional protein in the centre. Fold the sides and roll tightly like a burrito. For the dip, whisk together sunflower seed butter, soy, honey and lime juice until smooth.
Tips:

Tips:

  • This no-cook meal builds knife and rolling skills.
  • Encourage kids to explore colours and textures—“Eat the rainbow!”
  • Use dipping as a hands-on way to engage fussy eaters.
     

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